The Common Pokémon - are they actually any good? I'm talking about Pokémon like Bidoof, Zigzagoon, Ratata and Sentret - All those Pokémon that have generally low stats and are far too common. What do you think? Are they actually worthy of a place in your team?

I don't think they are. However they're useful for HMs. If I'm just roaming around I tend to have Bibarel in my team so my decent Pokémon can keep their good moves.

Melodyfree

May 29th, 2009, 11:07 AM

They make excellent HM slaves. But outside of that? No.
The Flying-types are an improvement over the annoying regional Normal-type, but none of them are particularly astounding...except for maybe Staraptor if used correctly.

Lt_Nite

May 29th, 2009, 11:13 AM

Poochyena, Wurmple/Caterpie can actually be pretty useful when they evolve but as for the ones you mentioned no they aren't, as said only as HM slaves.

Alexithymia~

May 29th, 2009, 11:29 AM

I liked caterpie.
But other than that, I only use them for HM slaves.

white lancer

May 29th, 2009, 11:42 AM

I liked the Pidgey/Pidgeotto/Pidgeot line. Other than that, I pretty much ignored them except to use Butterfree to beat Brock whenever I chose Charmander. Zigzagoon was useful for HMs and for Pickup.

BHwolfgang

May 29th, 2009, 12:27 PM

I like using Flying Pokémons. They're good traveling companions. As for the rest, no.

ShinjisLover

May 29th, 2009, 12:41 PM

If you train your Pokémon correctly, they can be strong. I caught a Rattata in FireRed which grew to be a very powerful Raticate.

I say: Don't count a Pokémon out just because it's common.

Awesome.

May 29th, 2009, 12:43 PM

i have only 3 things to say"they are useless"

dc_united

May 29th, 2009, 01:01 PM

Fearow, Pidgeot, Staraptor, and Swellow are pretty good. Raticate can be good, one of my friends shattered my perceptions about it with a raticate solo run. The only really bad ones are zigzagoon and bidoof

Limey-chan

May 29th, 2009, 01:06 PM

The only common Pokémon that's ever really made its way into my teams on a regular basis has been Spearow. And even then, it's mostly been included for Fly.

Tbh, I dislike the majority of the Pokémon you find around the early routes and tend to use battles against them to train up my starter/team.

Opposite Day

May 29th, 2009, 01:19 PM

Fearow, Pidgeot, Staraptor, and Swellow are pretty good. Raticate can be good, one of my friends shattered my perceptions about it with a raticate solo run. The only really bad ones are zigzagoon and bidoof

Well, Lioone can be quite a beast, if played correctly...

Check this out:
Lioone gets Gluttony, which makes it eat pinch berries at 50% or less.
It also gets Belly Drum, which makes it get +6 Attack at the cost of 50% of its HP. (Coincidence, anyone?)
It ALSO gets Extremespeed with STAB, which is the most powerful priority attack in the game.

How can you tell me that such a thing is bad? It's like a mini Arceus that is able to boost its attack sky-flipping-high in a single turn!

Bibarel is just charming when you don't look at his base stats, but apart from his great dual STABs, he has some of the best abilities in the game with Unaware and Simple. With these abilities, he can be either a wall of unexpected dimentions, a special attacker abusing Charge Beam, a Curser w/o the Speed drop, or just simply a status inflicter with Super Fang.. and probably more.

I'd prever Lioone and Bibarel over Pidgeot anytime.

Snerd

May 29th, 2009, 01:21 PM

I agree that the flying Pokémon can be strong, and very useful for getting around. Pidgeot and Staraptor have made it into my team a number of times however I never really liked Noctowl or Swellow. The fact that they only have two evolutions means that they're weaker than Staraptor and Pidgeot by default.

Lynnx

May 29th, 2009, 01:31 PM

I like the flying Pokemon, mainly Pidgeot and Staraptor, which always end up in my teams. Otherwise, they're nice for training, but I don't battle with them.

AuraAshley

May 29th, 2009, 01:33 PM

The Common Pokémon - are they actually any good? I'm talking about Pokémon like Bidoof, Zigzagoon, Ratata and Sentret - All those Pokémon that have generally low stats and are far too common. What do you think? Are they actually worthy of a place in your team?

I don't think they are. However they're useful for HMs. If I'm just roaming around I tend to have Bibarel in my team so my decent Pokémon can keep their good moves.

they can be if you give them the right moves and stat uppers

jackblaze

May 29th, 2009, 02:53 PM

If you train your Pokémon correctly, they can be strong. I caught a Rattata in FireRed which grew to be a very powerful Raticate.

I say: Don't count a Pokémon out just because it's common.

I agree with you to the fullest

templekeeper

May 29th, 2009, 02:56 PM

I've always dreamed of abusing Bibarel's ability with Charge Beam followed by Surf or something, but, alas, it never lasts long enough-

abnegation

May 29th, 2009, 02:58 PM

Staraptor can be very powerfull i think it's attack can go pretty high if trained properly.But every pokemon has its uses you just have to find them out for yourself but Arceus v Bibarel? Well no matter what you do bibarel aint gonna be powerfull enough in reality xD

The Scientist

May 29th, 2009, 03:03 PM

F.E.A.R.

Focus Sash, Endeavor, [Quick] Attack, Ratatta.

Heiheipig

May 29th, 2009, 03:23 PM

Staraptor is actually pretty good in game, but basically all of the normal types aren't that great.

Inkfingers

May 29th, 2009, 03:25 PM

Some of them, yes and smoe no. For example: vulpix, good, magikarp, bad.

JX Valentine

May 29th, 2009, 03:33 PM

magikarp, bad.

Until it evolves and gets medieval on your rear.

Inkfingers

May 29th, 2009, 03:37 PM

that's true, so very true. XD

Ayselipera

May 29th, 2009, 04:18 PM

Well their not the best, but I also don't think they
are the worse. All their stat totals are in the 400s
which isn't too bad, but not great either. Linoone's
is the highest will 420 base stat total. I prefer Bibarel
though. Even though it may be one of the most hideous
pokemon its secondary type makes it stand out from
the rest.

Conan Edogawa

May 29th, 2009, 04:25 PM

Well, Lioone can be quite a beast, if played correctly...

Check this out:
Lioone gets Gluttony, which makes it eat pinch berries at 50% or less.
It also gets Belly Drum, which makes it get +6 Attack at the cost of 50% of its HP. (Coincidence, anyone?)
It ALSO gets Extremespeed with STAB, which is the most powerful priority attack in the game.

How can you tell me that such a thing is bad? It's like a mini Arceus that is able to boost its attack sky-flipping-high in a single turn!

Bibarel is just charming when you don't look at his base stats, but apart from his great dual STABs, he has some of the best abilities in the game with Unaware and Simple. With these abilities, he can be either a wall of unexpected dimentions, a special attacker abusing Charge Beam, a Curser w/o the Speed drop, or just simply a status inflicter with Super Fang.. and probably more.

I'd prever Lioone and Bibarel over Pidgeot anytime.

Very good point which is why I like Linoon. As for the others...only Pidgeot.

Sora

May 29th, 2009, 07:07 PM

. . . I might be the only person who thinks of this, but I actually give the common ones a chance at times. Though it has been a while since I have. This may be because I don't at all compete with other trainers other than in-game, and in-game, pretty much any Pokemon, if used right, can be good. :3

I usually have Pidgeot on my team (unless it's Diamond/Pearl). And... I have to say that Raticate can pack a punch, which I have learned through the challenge I'm currently doing on my Fire Red.

Tsukiyo

May 29th, 2009, 07:15 PM

In...Yellow, I believe, Raticate was part of my main team.
In one playthrough, at least.

I also trained a Bibarel for a while in Pearl. It can be decent, but...eh.

Ninja Caterpie

May 29th, 2009, 07:15 PM

magikarp, bad.

Not when you Sash it, pass a Belly Drum from Smeargle and sweep with an epic flail.

If you can get a working moveset, it's good. All of them are useful in some way, like Bibarel is the best HM slave - common, and it learns all the crap HMs.

I Laugh at your Misfortune!

May 29th, 2009, 08:33 PM

Well, I love Rattata anyway, so on my current FR team I've got a Lv. 45 one with an everstone that I'm trying to beat the E4 with XD

XxDawnfanxX

May 29th, 2009, 08:49 PM

They could all be very useful if raises right, I have said this before in the HG/SS forum quite a few times as well. Caterpie can be very good if you keep it long enough for it to eventually to become a Butterfree. It can learn powerful physic and bug attacks. The physic moves combint with its powders sleeping/stun spore, poision power etc can be very useful. Ratata I never got into but if you evolve it into a Raticate it can do some pretty useful normal moves. Pidgey evolves eventually into one of the best bird pokemon in Pidgeot. Others can be transitioned into this as well

But Bidoff is just completley useless to me lol.

AuraAshley

May 29th, 2009, 09:15 PM

honestly all the begining pokemon suck except for starly in my opinion

Gimmy

May 30th, 2009, 02:30 AM

Fearow won me my Silver Factory thing, if I didn't have it, there was no way I would have won. I like to keep a Ratata as a HM slave though, its the cutest "common" type imo. C:

Snerd

May 30th, 2009, 06:53 AM

On my first Diamond playthrough, I had a team of Bibarel, Luxray, Staraptor, Floatzel, Infernape and Roserade. Bibarel was by far the worst in the team, and he was the highest level. But then again, that's just Bibarel.

I've tried with a Furret in my team and it was actually pretty decent. Linoone and Raticate however weren't. I've already talked about the flying types.

Opposite Day

May 30th, 2009, 12:08 PM

Not when you Sash it, pass a Belly Drum from Smeargle and sweep with an epic flail.

Oh, I SO remember you posting that - the best lol I've had in ages! :D
(Actually, I think I +rep-ed you for that too. xD)

Missingno.7-4468

May 30th, 2009, 01:57 PM

I have a Bibarel on my team, and it is more useful than you think. It has a pretty good moveset, and I checked its stats, its HP and attack are higher than Charizard's.

~*!*~Tatsujin Gosuto~*!*~

May 30th, 2009, 02:44 PM

Perfect HM slaves, but I've raised a Raticate, Linoone and Staraptor without a problem

:t354:TG

Commander Mars

May 30th, 2009, 04:58 PM

I have a Linoone on my team on Sapphire and it's actually one of the best Pokemon I have at the moment. Plus, its pickup ability is just awesome. :)